


Growing Bonds of Autumn Starlight

by Squishy (BurbleJerry)



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - World of Warcraft Fusion, Blood Elves, Dating, Established Relationship, Family Bonding, Fantasy, Fluff, Gen, Hopefully friendly to those unfamiliar with WoW but if not lemme know!, Implied Trauma because invasions are bad, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Niles Pumpkin Spice Week!, Polyamory, Pumpkin Spice Niles Week, Set During World of Warcraft: Legion, Teleportation, Travel, Vaguely Implied Past Character Death, Warcraft Lore, nightborne, niles fall shipping celebration, niles pumpkin spice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-15 16:38:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16067099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurbleJerry/pseuds/Squishy
Summary: For Niles, who fled with his surviving family after a great tragedy, finding safety and comfort in an extended family was a gift he never dreamed of having. Written for Pumpkin Spice: Niles Fall Shipping Celebration 2018 over on Tumblr!Surprise, it’s a Niles-centric WoW crossover! For those unfamiliar with World of Warcraft, please let me know if anything is particularly difficult to follow. For those unfamiliar with Fire Emblem: Fates, know that the characters here are just WoW-AU versions of characters from that game. The prompts are slightly out-of-order because that’s how it worked out, whoops. There’ll be a glossary of terms at the bottom of every chapter, lemme know if that’s helpful please! And enjoy.





	1. Crisp [Niles/Inigo, Nina, Soleil]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inigo leads his new boyfriend on a lengthy trip to his home, accompanied by their daughters.

“I thought blood elves weren’t actually red,” Niles teased, watching Inigo’s pointy ear tips flush as crimson as his cheeks.

The blood elf sniffed in pouty mock-sorrow. “I thought Nightborne would be purple, not blurple,” he muttered. At Niles raised brow, he gestured vaguely, “You know, like night elves? Aren’t you basically just night elves?”

“Dad, you can’t just say stuff like that,” Soleil chided. She had caught up with Nina to their parents, though the latter’s gaze still strayed to their surroundings. Niles couldn’t blame his daughter’s inattention: it was their first time visiting Orgrimmar, the capital of the faction, the Horde, that the Nightborne had recently allied with.

Nina frowned at Inigo and asked, “Why are there so many spikes?” Over Nina’s shoulder, Soleil grinned in a manner suggesting she would be no help whatsoever in this explanation. It was a question Niles had meant to ask: the buildings, the gate walls, the canyon walls, and even the guards’ armor all had them.

While Inigo stumbled over a vague explanation, Niles eyed him, and made the poor dancer’s attempt worse. Not that the thief cared, because he was still getting used to even seeing non-Nightborne, let alone dating a couple. Inigo, for example, had lovely brown hair, smooth tan skin, wore loose blue clothes, and his eyes glowed green.

Apparently, all Blood Elves had glowing green eyes, but some were getting yellow eyes, and Niles wasn’t sure what to think of that. He was used to Nightborne, who had light blue glowing eyes (like himself and Nina), and skin in shades of blue-purple, and arcane tattoos. Niles had naturally white hair, which he kept short and unruly, unlike most other elves; meanwhile, Nina had inherited her other father’s pale blonde hair, worn in two cute braids. At least they all had really long ears in common, Niles mused. Then his attention was drawn back to the conversation.

“-you can’t just say ‘that's how Orcs are’, either. Yeah, a lot of them are, but not all of them,” Soleil was pointing out. Inigo’s daughter shared a lot of his features, but her hair was pale blonde; currently, it had even streaks of dyed pink, matching her fashion choices. Niles privately hoped that she would get along with Forrest as well as she did with Nina; he liked her dads quite a lot.

“I know,” Inigo sighed, “just… that’s their culture, sweetie. I don’t have anything against orcs, and you know that.”

“I know,” Soleil agreed with a grin. She laughed and hugged her pouting dad. “Hey, turn that frown upside down, Dad! Let’s show them the zeppelins next!”

Niles raised his other brow as the suggestion perked Inigo right up, smile and all. “That’s a great idea. Come on, you two, you’ll love these,” he promised, and he didn’t even blush (this time) when he took Niles’ hand to pull along.

The four of them fast-walked along the wide orange dirt roads, past sturdy buildings set against the darker orange canyon that the city was built into. Other races commonly of the Horde passed them by: wolf-riding Orcs, tusked Trolls, bull-esque Tauren, tiny green Goblins, and now the undead Forsaken made up the majority in Orgrimmar. Nina strayed behind them as she stared, and Niles had to call to her to keep up. He couldn’t blame her awe, though: Nightborne were not only new to the Horde, but new to the world, after ten thousand years spent in isolation. Even he still reeled from the wide variety of newness around them.

Inigo led them up to a great gate, currently raised to allow foot traffic, and built between two sections of orange rock.. A pair of Orcs guarded this entry point, as they did almost everywhere in the city. He was just glad Nina didn’t seem nervous, even if she did want to stop and pester the stone-faced guards.

They walked up a ramp to the side of the gate, leading to the tower-esque part against the rock. Niles thought it was a building, until a platform descended from the hollow within to rest at foot-level. With a proud grin, Inigo gestured grandly towards the open entry to the elevator, “I bet you had none of these in your fancy Suramar city, right?”

“Nah, we had teleporters,” Nina stated. Seeing Inigo’s face fall, she quickly added, “Uh, but this is cool, too! We never had these… primitive platform things?” As Inigo’s arms and ears both drooped, she tried to fix her statement, “Wait, what’s the name for these things? I’m very interested in these, uh. Gate... person... platforms.”

“They’re elevators,” Soleil informed her. She offered Nina a hand as they both stepped over the lip of the open entry and into the elevator. “You have to be fast, because they--” her words were lost as the platform moved up again, rather quickly.

“Don’t worry, they’re ok,” Inigo said quickly as Niles stiffened. “The elevator just moves automatically, so you have to get on and off fast. We’ll just meet them at the zeppelin tower.” 

Inigo patted Niles’ shoulder, and the Nightborne side-eyed him. “You never explained what a ‘zeppelin’ is, you know.”

“You’ll see soon,” Inigo promised with a big grin. “But it’s basically how we’ve been visiting you guys. Well, that and a teleporter.”

Niles hummed in thought, then stepped closer to Inigo. Now that he listened, he could hear the inner machinations of the elevator working, no doubt bringing the platform back down. “Is this your way of inviting me to your home?” he asked, and smirked when the dancer startled.

“Wh-- well, that is the goal,” Inigo admitted, his cheeks turning red all over again. “I just thought, well… if you, and Nina, and Forrest and Leo, ever needed a place to stay…” the Blood Elf cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly. “I already talked about it with Owain, and Ophelia and Soleil would be ecstatic, and well, we have the space…”

Niles put his fingers to Inigo’s lips, as much to watch the reaction as to gather his own thoughts in the face of such an unexpected offer. “I’d have to talk to my family,” he finally began, “but,” his good eye took in the immediate environment and, seeing no eyes upon them, he dared to hold Inigo’s hand for the space of his final words, “I’d… like that.” With how well their relationships were going so far, and how well their kids got along, Niles didn’t doubt that they’d move in soon. It would be better than staying in the cramped Suramar apartment they’d been managing.

Inigo’s smile was fit to rival the sun, but before he could respond, the elevator platform returned. The dancer stepped over the lip of the entryway and offered Niles a hand; unnecessary, but accepted with a slight smile. Light faintly shone from around the rounded metal ceiling above, and from the windows spaced out on the way up. Then the platform reached the top, where Niles saw that the top of the gate had a path along it, one end leading to the tops of the canyon, the other leading to the mesa in the center of Orgrimmar and, to his surprise, full of activity.

His boyfriend led him down a short wood ramp; nearest to them was a flight master, lending and accepting flying mounts for those who could afford the rapid travel. An open-air paddock housed more of the beasts, which mainly consisted of wyverns napping in the sun. But Niles’ attention was immediately drawn to a pair of stout wooden towers at either end: at least as tall as the elevator and far wider, broad and open at the top.

“Took you long enough,” Nina’s half-hearted jab drew Niles’ attention away. She couldn’t help but grin in excitement; her and Soleil had been waiting at the bottom of the ramp for them. “Dad, we have to go up that tower,” she pointed to the easternmost building, “and climb a bunch of stairs until we get to the top. Then we wait, because the zeppelin is just a big flying taxi boat.” At Niles’ amused silence, she quickly added, “That’s just what Soleil told me.”

“She’s right,” Inigo laughed softly, his cheeks retaining their red tint. After all, he still held Niles’ hand. “Welcome to Orgrimmar’s Skyway. Anyway, let’s get going. There’s a lot of stairs we have to climb.” He began to lead them on, and almost let go of Niles’ hand, as the dusky elf tended not to like public displays of affection.

However, Niles didn’t immediately let go. When Inigo looked to him in surprise, his teasing smile was visibly softer than usual. Then, suddenly, the taller Nightborne let go and entered the tower behind their daughters. Inigo stared after his boyfriend in confusion before he realized that the orc guards were eyeing him with amusement. He stuttered something akin to an ‘excuse me’ and hurried inside.

The zeppelin tower was a tall, wooden building, a rectangular cube, simple but sturdy. Inside, stairs traveled along the walls, confined to the building’s shape. The four elves had to thus contend with a decent climb before they reached the top, but luckily all of them were in enough shape to avoid serious fatigue. At the top of the tower, four broad landings stretched out equidistant from one another for the zeppelins to dock at, and two with goblins. Without even searching, Inigo led them to the landing that best faced the mesa, now so far below them; the goblin at their dock informed them that the zeppelin should be back soon.

Nina stood dangerously close along the edge to peer at the people and wyverns below. Before Niles could comment, she darted to another landing and looked out over the rest of Orgrimmar. He stepped up beside her to eye the city from their new height. All of the gates had paths across atop them, whether simple wooden bridges or thick metal walkways. Banners displaying the symbols of the Horde greeted him from one of the metal corridors built into the rock. He looked out over the snaking lines of canyon that housed the capital, easier to notice from above. Then Nina gasped and pointed, and he realized that a distant dot in the sky was growing larger.

It turned out that the zeppelin was literally a sky ship, to Niles’ surprise. Most of it was a big boat, pushed forward by built-in machinery and kept afloat with an attached balloon above, which was as big as the boat itself. The roughly knee-height crew of goblins ran underfoot even as the elves boarded, shouting orders and ‘Yes, sirs!’ and such. Once aboard, Niles noted an awning over some descending stairs, no doubt leading belowdecks. He glanced to Nina and shared a smile; they walked down to the lower level of the airship together.

Only a corner of the hold held the ships supplies and crews’ belongings, and an alcove held what Niles assumed was the machinery for flight. A balcony outside held a nice view of everything behind the zeppelin, but it was located behind the rear propeller. As the zeppelin lurched into motion, the spinning ends of the propeller blades could be seen beyond the balcony, creating an odd blur above the view of the shrinking city.

The zeppelin rose over the city’s sheltering mountains and began its swift journey across the ocean. Niles and Nina stood just before the balcony, her braids and his short ponytail swaying somewhat from the minimal airflow the propeller created. They watched the pale orange canyons and bright red roofs of Orgrimmar fade away, replaced by endless shimmering blue.

The muted thud of footsteps upon the stairs drew Niles’ attention away, and he looked back to see Soleil poke her head in. “Hey you two! You should come back to the top. The view’s much better,” she promised with a smile.

“And I’m sure your father had nothing to do with this,” Niles suggested with a smirk, to which Soleil grinned before her head disappeared. He glanced at Nina, who was reluctantly turning away from the balcony view. “You can stay here if you’d prefer,” he began, but she shook her head.

“Nah, I wanna see the ocean,” Nina said, adding softly, “without… you know, ominous green lighting from demon fire or anything.”

Niles patted her shoulder in silent understanding, and after a moment longer, they walked back up to the deck. Inigo and Soleil stood against the stair awning, and the blood elf man grinned at his nightborne paramour’s arrival. “Hey, starlight. You’ll love this, look,” the dancer took Niles’ hand and led him to the edge, where the half-wall of wood supposedly prevented people from falling off. There was nothing below them but open ocean, glittering in the sunlight, and above them fluffy clouds drifted in the pale blue sky. A few gulls wheeled in the distant, calling to each other in their high-pitched cries.

Niles hummed thoughtfully at the view, though he looked down at Inigo as the shorter elf leaned against him. “It’s nice,” he admitted. The blood elf peered up at him, cheek squished against his shoulder, and he felt his dark, dusky cheeks turn a shade darker. “So, does this take us straight to your place?”

Inigo smiled at the deflection, but went along with it. “Well, not quite. This zeppelin docks at the tower near Undercity-- the Forsaken capitol,” he explained, “and there’s a teleporter there which will take us to Silvermoon. That’s the Blood Elf capitol, and it’s where we live.” The dancer blinked as Soleil and Nina joined them on either side, and laughed quietly. “Hello, sweethearts. Anyways, Owain and Ophelia wanted to get the place ready before we got there. They were pretty excited to give you two a tour of Silvermoon, too.”

“It’s a lot like Suramar,” Soleil put in, “except it’s warm colors everywhere. You’ll see soon.”

“You know,” Nina put in, “I think Forrest should see it too, then. He wanted to see what the fashions were like.”

“We’ll go back for Leo and Forrest if you want,” Inigo offered, looking momentarily sheepish. “Maybe they’ll be home by the time we get there. I hope you don’t mind being at Owain’s mercy for a few hours.”

Niles smiled, and wrapped an arm around Nina and Inigo both; he had to content himself with a hand on Soleil’s shoulder, but that was close enough. That was all the answer Inigo sought, and they stood together awhile, watching the clear ocean and enjoying the crisp air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get it? Blood elves? Red? Word play? Ahaha *finger-guns into the sunset*


	2. Tall Tales [Owain/Niles, Ophelia, Nina]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niles and Nina get a tour of the land of Blood Elves, courtesy of Owain and Ophelia, and a little bit of a tragic history lesson.

When they arrived in Silvermoon, Owain had been there to greet them. He’d thrown his arms around Niles and Inigo, and ruffled Soleil and Nina’s hair, and chattered about all he’d show them the whole time. Unfortunately, Niles only caught some of this, because Ophelia was also there to dramatically describe their ‘upcoming journey through the eternal city’. Inigo had been amused, and a little sad, to say goodbye while he went to fetch the rest of Niles’ family; thus the two Nightborne had, again, been left with a pair of Blood Elves.

To Niles’ surprise, however, they didn’t spend much time in Silvermoon City. Owain led them through at a rapid pace, leaving his poor boyfriend with less time to observe the city then desired. They passed by tall structures of delicate white stone and golden engravings, with cobblestone of tan and pale red, roofs of crimson, and lingering magical crystals powering the city floating along the walls. Guards in flashy red armor, lined with gold filigree, patrolled the streets and stood vigilant at important intersections. Lights lined the streets and brooms magically swept them; even the road signs were magical, their names glowing and easy to read. Lovely benches of golden wood were located in every section of the city. Patches of greenery were tastefully set in corners or open stretches of cobblestone, with fountains and golden-leafed trees and Blood Elves lounging around both. In fact, the only other people Niles saw were Sin’dorei, walking past them and going about their lives, adorned as brightly as the city. Yet something about the activity seemed inadequate, as if there weren’t enough people to properly fill out the space. Past all of this Owain led them, giving only the briefest description of the sights before they walked out the city gates, apparently called The Shepherd’s Gate.

A short, broad bridge of pale cobblestone led out into the woods. “Eversong Woods, the bastion of our Silvermoon and home to our people,” Owain declared as he led them on. “Bathed in spring eternal, and guarded by the ancient magics of the Sin’dorei.”

“Why is it always spring?” Nina asked.

Owain halted before the bridge itself and carefully led them to the side, where stairs descended to a small sort of park under said bridge. Cultivated flowers lined young, precisely-planted trees, and benches were tastefully placed to enjoy the area. He glanced at Nina, finally, and sheepishly diverted, “Ophelia, do you remember why the ancient Highborne locked our home in this state?”

“Not really,” Ophelia admitted. “But I do know that the ancient runestones deep in the forest dampen magics not of our people.”

“Very good, sweetie,” Owain smiled proudly at this bit of remembered history. “Onwards through Eversong, for our goal is within reach.” This he declared while awkwardly stepping over and around the bushes that partially blocked the small garden area off from the woods. Niles glanced up at the bridge that they could’ve just walked across, but decided to ask later.

They wandered along the uneven, almost hilly grass of the wood. Bright sunlight shone between the golden and red leaves of the tall, pale trees, shadows dappling the healthy green beneath their boots. Niles kept his hood up, not yet used to the brighter light of Eversong Woods. He glanced back and saw Nina doing the same, even though she was deep in enthusiastic conversation with Ophelia. Ahead, Owain led the way, pointing out landmarks and telling such tall tales about them that Niles wondered how much was exaggeration and how much was fact.

They crossed over an old cobblestone path, which stretched from the bridge and deep into the woods, and kept going. Short lengths of fence were dotted along the simple road, with glowing blue lights guiding the occasional traveler or patrolling guard. A building in the distance caught Niles’ eye, and he reached out to grasp Owain’s cape to grab his attention. When the surprised Sin’dorei faced him, he motioned to the building and asked, “What’s over there?”

“Oh, that’s where people can buy hawkstriders,” Ophelia chimed in. “We used to have some. Dad, let’s stop by after we show them the spot! Please?”

Owain grinned at this plan, “Brilliant! We shall show you our feathered friends soon,” he promised before resuming the trip. They crested a short hill and came across a clear river, which flowed into a lake. “This is Stillwhisper Pond, where many a day and night we have spent together.” Niles raised a brow, and Owain, blushing a little, clarified, “well, uh, me and Inigo and the girls.”

Niles hummed as he eyed the lake. There were short hills all around the water, and one entire section was ringed by students of the arcane at their lessons. Beyond the lake, he frowned at the faint, near-hidden view of scorched, grey earth. He turned to ask, but Owain was already walking off again, and he had to hurry to catch up. Nina looked up at him, and he shrugged.

Owain and Ophelia led them across some large stones along the river, worn at the top from hundreds of elves walking across them over the years. Occasionally, Niles saw animated trees wandering about, and docile, flying serpents gliding stately amidst the non-animated trees. He even saw a large, red cat of some kind, watching them from a great distance. But standing out was a larger building, stately and across the river from where they now stood. Long, winding ramps and arched entryways gave it an almost ephemeral appearance, as if the structure were delicate. Niles could see Blood Elves all around the place, training, patrolling, existing, many with bows or animal companions like those in the wood.

Owain was leading them towards a larger series of hills, though he stopped when he realized that his boyfriend was distracted again. “Ah, my starlit love, I see that the realm of the forest rangers has caught your eye. Indeed,” he went on, not noticing Niles’ lovingly-amused smirk, “the Farstriders of Quel’thalas are our woodland defenders. Much is owed to their lone wolf heroism.”

“I wanted to join them when I was younger,” Ophelia added proudly, “but the path of magic is my destiny!”

“It suits you,” Niles said, a rare compliment, and Ophelia beamed with greater pride.

They began to hike up the hills, which was more of a slightly-difficult walk with only a little climbing. Owain and Ophelia were obviously experienced with this sort of outdoorsmanship, and Nina and Niles, who were used to climbing about buildings, had hardly any difficulty. In short order, the four elves were atop the smallish hills, with an excellent view of the woods and the city.

“Behold our fair Silvermoon, a bastion of arcane knowledge and a beacon of hope against all that would seek harm upon the Sin’dorei,” Owain grandly gestured. From their tall vantage point, Niles had a perfect view of the bright city. Far from being adorned in cool colors, as Niles’ former home of Suramar was, the sprawl of Silvermoon’s oceanside city was whites and golds and reds, with spires rising to red-capped points. Tallest among the buildings was the Spire, rising with wing-like structures built around it, reminiscent of the phoenix, a symbol the Sin’dorei associated themselves with. Yet the western half, separated by a dark scar running through the land, lay in ruin: the hollow husks of destroyed buildings could be seen, and much of the area was overrun with greenery.

“It’s flashy,” Niles commented.

“To match our bright people,” Owain added with a grin and a heroic pose. Beside him, his daughter, Ophelia, struck a matching figure. Together, they were proud heroes of a struggling people, glowing green eyes as bright as their personalities. Though, Niles idly noted, Owain’s blonde hair contrasted with the brown hair that Ophelia had inherited from her other dad, yet they both shared freckles and flair.

Nina smiled and whispered to Niles, “They’re really dorky.” 

Niles smiled briefly, but the blatant scar upon the land, which split it and the city in two, kept catching his eye. He nodded to it and asked, “What happened there?”

Owain’s smile faded as suddenly as if the sun had been eclipsed. His glowing gaze strayed to the thick, dark line through the land. With a worried frown, Ophelia reached out and held his hand, and he just barely returned the grip. Nina glanced to her dad, uncertain.

Niles stepped up beside the distracted elf and spoke softly, wincing subtly when Owain startled. “Look, don’t worry about it. I should know better then anyone when not to ask,” he smirked, but with only the four of them there, he didn’t bother to hide his concern.

Owain looked to Niles and smiled sadly, though his slump felt unbefitting to the one-eyed elf. He almost spoke, but stopped when he felt Niles’ hand grasp his. He looked up at his love, closer now, idly noting that though he was tall for a Blood Elf, Niles was slightly short for a Nightborne, and yet taller. His quiet laugh at difference caused his love to raise a curious brow.

“You should know the tragedy of the Sin’dorei,” Owain began, softly. Beside him, Ophelia’s eyes grew wide, but he didn’t notice. When Niles shook his head, Owain frowned at him. “No, you really should. Not even two decades ago, almost every single Blood Elf alive now went through…” he trailed off, but Niles finally didn’t try to stop him from going on, once his thoughts were gathered. “The histories can give you more details,” he finally said, before clearing his throat for a more dramatic delivery. At some point, he’d taken Niles’ other hand, and held them both firmly. Nina stepped up beside her dad to listen, as did Ophelia.

“When Ophelia Stygiansun was barely a child,” he began, sharing a brief smile with his daughter, “when our people were called Highborne, Quel’dorei, and our eyes glowed blue. We prospered here in Eversong Forest. We thought our home was an impervious bastion of magic, until… until the undead invaded.” He took a steadying breath, and smiled at Niles when the concerned Nightborne squeezed his hands. “We knew of them, we prepared, but they were infallible. Most of our people fell, and that scar upon the land refuses to heal.” He hung his head and leaned in; Niles read the cue and pulled him close. “If my family hadn’t been defending us, we would’ve…”

Niles hummed his understanding, and Owain fell quiet. Nina and Ophelia both hugged the sad dads, and they all stood there as a gentle breeze ruffled the treetops below them.

Owain sighed. “I’m sorry, I know you both went through--” he began, but Niles leaned down to kiss him quiet.

Nina stiffened when Owain spoke, then relaxed when he stopped, before she squinted up at the two and saw them making out. “Ew.”

Niles broke away with a soft laugh and freed an arm to ruffle Nina’s hair. “What? I thought you approved of him,” he nodded to Owain, who smiled despite the blush running up his pointy ears.

“Not in front of me,” Nina protested. She leaned around the two and asked Ophelia, “Is that your actual last name?”

“It’s my hero identity,” Ophelia explained proudly. “Ophelia Stygiansun, the maiden of magic! Daughter to the mighty Odin Stygiansun! Together, we smite evil in its tracks!”

“Isn’t that your pen name?” Niles asked Owain, amused.

“It is!” Owain’s grin focused on Niles, almost as bright as it had been earlier that day. Then his gaze traveled up a little further, towards the climbing sun, and he gasped. “We must return at once! I have to show you all the wonders of Silvermoon!”

“Why didn’t you do that on the way?” Nina asked while Owain disentangled himself from the group hug.

“Because I wanted to show you the view!” Owain explained; Niles laughed a little. “Oh, and we should come back tonight! The clear skies are perfect for exploring the night sky, and it would be a crime to keep them from my silver starlight.”

“Oh?” Niles’ ears perked slightly at the offer. He considered teasing, but Owain looked far too pleased, so he simply smiled indulgently. “Then we’ll do that, love.” As he spoke, Nina and Ophelia were already climbing back down. Before Owain could join them, Niles caught his wrist and pulled him close for a final kiss. When they pulled apart for air, they gazed into one another’s eyes, such as they were. He smiled, and Owain smiled back, comfortable and understanding. Then they climbed down together, where their daughters waited for them.


	3. Memories [Leo/Niles, Nina, Forrest]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small family of Nightborne prepare for the future, and remember the past.

Without the glimmering purple hues of the barrier, the sprawling mass of Suramar stood open to the world. The stars shone down upon the city, equally bright upon buildings and streets. Round domes of soft purples and blues rose to meet the sky, held up by pillars of pale white stone and gilded with silver. Many of these were surrounded by the sea harbor, which wove through the city and enabled their system of gondolas to prosper. Trees of dusky blues and purples stood in sections throughout Suramar. Yet even from the balcony of one of the taller buildings could one see the wreckage, where large swaths of masonry lay crumbled, burned black and streaked with felfire-green, after the native Shal’dorei had recently suffered a demonic occupation.

Niles’ single-eyed gaze was fixed on the distant city, all he’d known for the few hundred years he’d been alive. To see his home fall to felfire hurt only because it hurt his husband; the traitorous members of the nobility, those who kissed the boots of demons to save themselves, getting what they deserved wasn’t as satisfying to watch when his family suffered so much.

Leo, his former liege and current husband, stepped up beside Niles, and leaned a little against the slightly-shorter Nightborne. The faint smells of the city drifted towards them with the chill, the sea and the faint, acrid aroma of felburnt stone. Nina leaned over the balcony beside Niles, staring down at the pale crescent of the city; Forrest stood to Leo’s side, equally still. For once, the stars, finally free to shine upon the city, didn’t command Niles’ attention.

“We’ll visit,” Forrest spoke to no one in particular. In a way, the brief words weren’t necessary: their plan was to visit. Leo’s siblings, and their partners and children and surviving staff, would remain in the city to assist in the rebuilding; the excuse for Leo leaving was so he could act as a diplomat to their Sin’dorei allies. But part of the reason was so that Leo and Niles could move in with their new partners, and thus allow their surviving family more space in the apartment they’d been living in.

“I’m kinda relieved Grandpa-” Nina began, glancing up as she did, and stopping at Leo’s frown. Her mouth wasn’t easily stilled, but she knew this wasn’t the time, even if Leo agreed. It was unsurprising, but still hard on the family, when the leader of their family had been among those nobles to side with the Legion’s demons. Between the threat of exile, where they would surely have mana-starved, and the demons wandering the streets, doing as they pleased, it was a wonder that they survived.

Leo murmured, “We should go soon,” so softly that the wind almost blew away his words.

Niles hummed and tore his gaze away from the city, up to the sky. The lingering magic of the barrier, a swirling oval of purple, and the clouds blocked out the stars. Dust-like particles of magic still fell from above, though they were few and far between. Back when the arcanist nobility of Suramar first removed the barrier, he could remember the lingering mana falling almost like snow, and the thin, shimmering purple-blue both above, as it remained, and below, where it rose into intricate triangles around the city’s perimeter.

Forrest looked back, and Niles followed his gaze. The poor lone porter they’d hired to bring their things was setting down the final chest, magically sealed as per the standard. Leo stepped up to the fellow to thank and pay them, while Niles quietly counted the chests. Their clothes, valuables, signs of their life in Suramar… most of it was gone, but they salvaged what they could.

“That looks like all of it,” Nina said with a sigh. She glanced around, then hugged Niles while nobody was watching. He hugged back, and for once didn’t tease. Then, quickly, she let go and looked away, back towards the city. When he ruffled her hair, she only half-heartedly pushed away his hand.

“Do they really have space for us?” Forrest asked, though he was still watching Leo speak to the porter.

“Yeah, they do,” Niles confirmed quietly. “Owain’s place was built for a lot more people.” Even if, Niles thought to himself, only half of the place was currently livable. Even after well over a decade of off-and-on repair, there was only so much a fallen noble could do. He wondered if Leo’s old home would fare half as well after a decade.

“I wish everyone else could come with us,” Forrest admitted. Before Niles could say anything, his son smiled ruefully. “I know, they have political duties here. The city needs to be rebuilt in more ways than one. But… I still wish they could come with us. It’s going to be strange without our extended family around.”

Nina glanced back, making sure Leo was distracted, before she quietly said, “I wanted more space, but… not like this. With the demons and everything,” she added quickly with a glance to Niles, “your boyfriends are fine, and their daughters are pretty cool.”

“I know what you meant,” Niles assured her with a sad smile, an expression he rarely allowed himself. Before he could continue, however, Leo returned to the balcony.

“Could you help me carry our things out here?” Leo asked, looking at all of them. “I need the space out here for the portal to take all of us away.”

“Why didn’t the porter stay to help?” Nina asked with a frown.

Leo grimaced sheepishly, “I… didn’t realize I would need more space until they’d already left.”

Niles couldn’t stop his grin. When Leo huffed and turned away, he laughed a little and briefly hugged his husband. “You know this is why our kids take after you,” he whispered, an old tease that made Leo smile a little. At normal volume, the one-eyed Nightborne continued, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get the chests out here.”

“You worry too much, Dad,” Nina added with a grin; she raised a brow when Niles smirked.

They carried their magical chests out to the broad space of the balcony. As they did this, Nina asked, “Hey, when we get to Silvermoon, can I still have my own room?”

“Sure, sweetie,” Niles replied, grunting briefly as he hefted Forrest’s clothes-filled chest. “You’re, what, forty? You’re old enough to have your own space, you know.”

“You’re only, like, five hundred,” Nina muttered under her breath, loudly, but with a smile.

Forrest hummed to himself, and ignored Nina’s stuck-out tongue. He was the older sibling, after all; yet Niles could tell that his feminine son was amused.

It didn’t take the four Nightborne long to move their chests to the balcony, under the cloudy sky and with much of Suramar visible before them. Leo began to trace out the appropriate runes around them, tapping into the leylines that made the Shal’dorei so famous for their teleportation magic. Forrest assisted him, while Niles and Nina made sure their belongings would fit in the circle.

Finally, Leo straightened with sigh and inspected their work. He walked all around the circle, while Forrest did the same counter to him. Once they’d each inspected the full circumference of it, they were satisfied and stepped inside. “Are you ready?” Leo asked his family.

Forrest scooted one of his over-burdened chests a little before simply saying, “Yes.”

“Yup, we better go,” Nina agreed, “because Forrest is gonna take hours to unpack.” Her older brother ignored the remark.

“We’re ready, love,” Niles said. His lone eye met Leo’s as his husband entered the circle.

They stared at one another before Leo softly said, “I-- we’ll be fine, in time, Niles.” The one-eyed Nightborne nodded slightly at this. Satisfied, Leo looked to Forrest, and together they cast the spell. The runes on the ground lit fantastically, shimmering purple that seemed to absorb those few dust particles of stray mana lingering in the air. Then the four Shal’dorei, and their packed belongings, disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may be reading through this fic and thinking to yourself, ‘wow elves have it rough,’ but like honestly, everyone in WoW has it rough.


	4. Pumpkins [Niles, Nina, Forrest, Ophelia, Soleil]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niles spends some time with his kids, and together [some of them] discover what a pumpkin is.

Owain’s dining room was as fancy as the rest of the repaired part of his mansion was, if a little large for Niles’ taste. He sat at the table, crafted of solid wood beneath the tablecloth. Eyeing some old stains, he wondered if Owain’s family would have cared, or if they truly would’ve been as informal as his sunshine partner claimed. Certainly, the old dent in one of the walls, old scuffs along the flooring and counters, and signs of rough use suggested that.

Normally, he would expect Nina to be showing all her usual signs of impatience, but she was watching the kitchen area with interest despite her ‘cool’ demeanor. Forrest sat as properly as any noble could hope, but even he was leaning forward a little, trying to better see what the other girls were doing. Ophelia and Soleil were bustling about the kitchen, grabbing various objects. Niles had a vague idea of the reason, but they’d been asked to wait while the Blood Elves grabbed what they needed for… something.

Niles almost turned to ask Owain, but he knew that the Blood Elf parents, and Leo, were out buying supplies for some strange seasonal drinks. He idly wondered what it meant to ‘mull’ wine, or what ‘pumpkin spice’ was like. Would they put the spice in the wine? Is that what ‘mulled’ it? He had no idea.

Ophelia poked her head out, her brows furrowed in the very serious expression that reminded Niles of her heroic father. “We have gathered the implements for the ritual! Are your minds prepared?”

Nina sat with her chin in her hand, as if nonchalant, but she didn’t hide the curiosity in her voice when she answered, “Ready as we can be.”

“Ophelia! Help me carry all this to the table,” Soleil called from the kitchen, and Ophelia’s head disappeared. The Nightborne didn’t have much longer to wait, however, as both of the Blood Elves entered the dining room. Cooking implements filled Soleil’s arms, but what drew Niles attention was the misshapen orange thing Ophelia plopped on the table with a ‘thunk’.

“Behold, the key ingredient to our pie! The mighty gourd of the earth, the pumpkin!” Ophelia announced with arms outflung for effect.

“That is... a spice?” Forrest whispered, eyes wide upon the orange thing.

“What?” Soleil looked curiously at the frilly Nightborne. “No, it’s a… fruit?”

“I think it’s a vegetable,” Ophelia put in. Soleil shrugged, so her sister continued, “But regardless of it’s true nature, we shall conquer it and turn it into our lifeblood!”

“In the dining room...?” Forrest inquired. When the girls grinned, he asked, “Why aren’t we doing this in the kitchen?”

“Because last week, Dad spilled-”

Soleil covered Ophelia’s mouth and said quickly, “Uh, the kitchen doesn’t look great right now. Besides, the dining room’s got a lot of space, and when our dads get back, they’ll walk in here first.”

Niles raised a brow and decided he would ask his boyfriends later. Ophelia darted back into the kitchen one more time, and returned with a recipe book, which she laid out upon the table. Regardless of the true identity of ‘pumpkin’, the book claimed it could become a pie.

“We’ll have to use the kitchen for some of this, I assume,” Forrest commented with a frown.

“Uh,” Soleil shared a sheepish look with Ophelia, “We’ll handle the baking.”

With the two Blood Elves and the book as guides, the group set up the bowls and measured the proper amount of dry and wet ingredients to mix as directed. While they worked at these simple tasks, Soleil asked, “Have you guys really never left Suramar until now?”

“Yes, it was our home for all our lives,” Forrest answered, a little guarded. At the concerned looks of the Blood Elf sisters, he sighed, and smiled sadly. “The loss of it is still recent enough that I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Oh, sorry,” Soleil apologized with a wince.

Ophelia, however, look around at the Nightborne curiously. “So, how old are you guys? If it’s ok to ask,” she added quickly.

“How old are you?” Nina asked in turn, her glowing eyes narrowed.

“Sixteen,” Ophelia stated, young by elven standards. Niles belatedly recalled that she was only a toddler when the Sin’dorei went through their own invasion, as Owain had mentioned.

“I’m twenty-one,” Soleil chimed in, “which makes me older and wiser.”

“Your advanced age can’t beat my hero senses,” Ophelia argued, and struck a pose that would make her father proud. Then she grinned, and Soleil laughed. Niles wondered why his kids couldn’t have gotten along that well at younger ages.

“We’re older then either of you,” Nina bragged, which caught the other girls’ attention. “I’m almost forty. He’s older, but I’m more mature.” At this, Niles couldn’t hide his smile, and the girls giggled.

Forrest set a hand to his chest in offense. “You are the least mature person in this room. Even Father is more of an adult. I mean no offense,” he added at Niles’ raised brow.

“Sorry Dad, you can be immature sometimes,” Nina agreed matter-of-factly, as if she hadn’t just been insulted.

Niles shook his head a little and pointed out, “I’m doing all the work.” He pushed forward the bowls of mixed ingredients, then leaned over to eye the recipe book.

“Dad’s over five hundred,” Nina filled in the other girls with a stage whisper, which Niles pretended to ignore. “But I think he’s like, fifty thousand or something.” At that, Niles couldn’t help but shake his head in amusement.

Ophelia leaned over Niles’ shoulder to look at the book, and gasped. “Oh, it’s time to prepare the pumpkin!” She grinned at Niles, clearly excited.

“How do we do that?” Niles asked, just because she seemed so pleased.

“Well, first,” Ophelia began as she picked up a knife, “we must make an incision of surgical precision, and remove the stringy protection of the seeds within.”

“Pardon?” Forrest asked as Ophelia began cutting a circle atop the orange gourd. The top came off with a little pulling, and leaning in, Niles saw that the description was apt: the inside looked like a pale orange mess of stringy insides and large seeds. He glanced up in time to see Forrest physically leaning away from the pumpkin. “You can handle this part, Ophelia. I’d just rather not… deal with that.”

“Oh, I’ll do it,” Nina answered before Ophelia could. She stood and held a hand out for the knife, adding, “It’s just a plant, Forrest, it’s not gonna attack you.”

“I worked very hard on this robe,” Forrest protested, “and orange stains do not go with the color at all!”

“If you’d rather just sit there and watch the whole time-” Nina began.

“I’m perfectly willing to get my hands dirty,” Forrest stood and glared at his sister, and accepted the knife from an uncertain Ophelia. He tugged off his fancy gloves and set them on a clean space further down the table, then held the knife up. Niles began to fear for the pumpkin.

“Wait, wait,” Soleil interrupted, trying and failing not to look amused. “Let me show you how to do that right, Forrest.”

The offended noble’s son stood a moment longer, glaring at the pumpkin, before he reluctantly set the knife down. “... That would be for the best, thank you.” Soleil laughed and moved to Forrest’s section of table to properly demonstrate the fine art of scooping out pumpkin stuff.

While they were busy, Nina casually shuffled next to Niles. He raised a brow, and she sighed. He raised his other brow, and she stifled a snort and whispered, “They aren’t that bad.” She turned her head a little and, catching his curious gaze, admitted, “I mean, their dads are dorky, and they’re silly, but they’re all good people. I think I could like being an older sister for once, even if it’s kinda late.” She looked away, but quietly added, “I’m glad their dads make you happy, too, and that Dad’s ok with it, and also happy and stuff.”

“What are you whispering about?” Forrest asked his sister with narrowed eyes. Nina looked away, as if she hadn’t heard the question.

“Nothing bad,” Niles promised. His son frowned at his tone, but was quickly distracted by Soleil’s instructions. Niles appreciated that, because he wasn’t quite ready to be choked-up in any way around Ophelia or Soleil yet. Even if he was only a little, just a tiny bit, choked-up.

Meanwhile, part of the table was now a mess of pumpkin bits. Forrest grinned in triumph at the pumpkin, then stared down at his much-ruined robe and his grin faded in dismay. “Where is your washroom, again…?” he asked sheepishly. Nina snickered.

“Oh, oh, I’ll show you!” Ophelia volunteered. She jogged down the hall, calling back, “This way!” and Forrest was forced to follow quickly lest he be left behind.

“He tried,” Nina commented.

“Oh, he didn’t do that bad,” Soleil pointed out. A magical chime filled with air, startling the Nightborne, and Soleil laughed softly. “That’s the doorbell, don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.” She walked off to the front room, leaving Nina and Niles and all the ingredients for a gourd pie.

Niles looked to his daughter, then, and smiled softly. “I think we’ll like it here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t actually know how to make pumpkin pie so uh bear with me please *bow* also elves, again, they just. Look 20 when they reach 20 and like keep lookin that young until they die basically its Wild, like Elves man how do they work


	5. Mulled Wine [Niles/Owain/Inigo, Niles/Leo/Owain]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niles and his partners enjoy a late evening together, the first of many.

The one balcony that was intact in Owain’s mansion had a nice view of the city. Blue streetlights and energy crystals glowed all around, while above the stars shone from the clear night sky. The tall, red rooftops of Silvermoon seemed [color] in the night, and their golden gilding appeared silvery. Niles almost felt like they were in some sort of alternate Suramar, instead of the Blood Elf capital.

While their kids were inside, chatting loud enough to be faintly heard and presumably enjoying the rest of the pumpkin spice, the parents sat in plush red chairs arranged on the balcony. A chill breeze ruffled Niles’ short ponytail, and Inigo repeatedly brushed hair from his own eyes. Niles suspected that Leo would want to go inside soon, if not for the warmth from the mulled wine. It had been fun to make the drinks, and Niles was content to linger with his partners in the warm afterglow of enjoying them.

“After this night’s revelry,” Owain began, speaking carefully to avoid slurring, “I shall introduce you to our… friends and family, that have survived through the years’ hardships to stand with us today. They who we have known, from… uh,” he paused and glanced down, glowing greens fixed on his empty glass. He shrugged and lifted it anyway, “from childhood youth, and those made friendships unto later in life, and… and others!”

Niles smirked and raised his glass, though his face softened in light of Owain’s bright, if tipsy, smile. The scooting of chairlegs on stone turned his gaze to his other side, where Inigo was ‘subtly’ inching his chair closer and closer. Then the dancer looked up, caught Niles’ gaze, and sheepish smile blossomed on that blushing face.

“Uh, hi there,” Inigo said lamely.

“Going somewhere?” Niles purred. Inigo’s embarrassed laugh went straight to his heart.

“It’s getting cold,” Inigo admitted with his cute, shy smile, “so I thought I’d get a bit closer, if that’s alright.” As if in answer to the complaint, a chill breeze blew Inigo’s bangs across his face.

“But of course!” Owain chirped before Niles could answer. He hopped to his feet and swayed a moment before posing, only for his yellow cape to nearly blow into his face. Niles smirked while the poor elf righted his cloak. “Come! Let us, um, momentum our chairs.” At the blank looks from all three of his boyfriends, even Leo who had been thoughtfully staring out at the city, Owain hung his head and clarified, “Let’s push our chairs together.”

“Sure-- hey, that was my idea,” Inigo protested. Niles snickered before he stood, while Leo reluctantly did the same. While Owain, Niles, and Inigo simply pushed the chairs with their own physical strength, Leo simply waved a hand, and his own chair moved to where it needed to be.

“What?” the noble asked with a frown when Owain and Inigo stared at the cantrip.

“Your casual prowess with magic continues to impress!” Owain grinned and claimed his seat, adding, “It simply amazes the casual observer!”

Inigo coughed, but decided to sit down without comment.

Niles regained his chair, which left him between Inigo and Owain. Leo sat to Owain’s other side, and thoroughly curled up in his cloak against the chill. He raised a brow as Owain shivered.

“Owain’s cape is just for show,” Inigo explained even as he partly curled under Niles’ navy cloak. “I keep telling him to get a warmer one, but no, he likes the red zig-zags.”

“They’re special!” Owain insisted. “They’re the zig-zags of firey might! They’re… oh.” The blood elf blushed as Leo shared his much-warmer cloak. “... Thank you. I feel warmth returning to my eldritch bones.”

“You’re not that old,” Niles teased. When Owain grinned at him, he reached past those broad shoulders to hold Leo’s hand. With Inigo curling up in his other arm, he felt rather warm inside, even with the crisp breeze. His one-eyed gaze strayed to the starry sky, until his partners’ chatter distracted him.

“But Leo,” Owain whined, “how could I not address you, who has worked so hard for your people, as Lord--”

“Because you’re my boyfriend,” Leo interrupted; Niles was proud of his husband for not stuttering over the b-word. “Unless we’re in some formal setting, I’d prefer it if you just called me Leo.”

“Or ‘honey’, or ‘kitten’,” Niles suggested. Leo’s dusky cheeks took on a much darker hue.

Owain sighed. “As you wish, my lordly love! Oh, sorry,” he added when Leo grimaced.

“You know, Owain hates being called ‘lord’, too,” Inigo piped up, though he remained as curled up against Niles as he could; Niles found that adorable. “But he just doesn’t care about formality very much.”

“I’ve noticed,” Leo dryly commented; he leaned into Owain even before he said that, of course.

“I just don’t wanna lead a House,” Owain admitted, his pointy ears wilting. “I’d rather adventure, and write, and spend time with my loved ones, and… so many other things then be reminded of losing--” he stopped when Inigo leaned over to clap a hand over his mouth.

“Shhhh,” Inigo whispered. “Shhh, we know, it’s ok. We all went through a lot, but we’re here now, right? So how about you smile for me?” He smiled, and it widened when Owain managed to return it.

“However,” Leo began, grabbing their attention, “Inigo should still refer to me as ‘Lord Leo’ in public settings. Even informal ones.”

“Wha-- that’s no fair!” Inigo protested, though he was barely heard of Owain’s laughter.

“You and Leo aren’t dating,” Niles pointed out with a smirk. Leo smiled a little, just for a moment.

“I’m just happy this is working out so well,” Inigo admitted with a gesture taking in the four of them. “I didn’t think I’d get involved with anyone else after…” he trailed off with a blush and a giddy smile. Niles smiled fondly at the unnecessary shyness.

“My indigo flower is of a like mine as I,” Owain murmured as he smiled back at Inigo. “But never would I disparage the bonds we have forged! The hardships we endured brought us together!” He straightened and wiggled in his chair, until he’d gotten comfortable against both Niles and Leo. “To have met a rose of starlight and leaf of dreams ‘neath a foreign sky, bonded to one another first, and now sharing their lives with us is … pretty great,” he finished sheepishly.

“You’d think alcohol would make your theatrics more dramatic,” Niles commented with a smirk.

“Leaf of dre-- are you comparing me to dreamleaf?” Leo raised a brow.

“Well, yeah. It’s a mystical herb of natural magic! It reminds me of you,” Owain stated. Leo shook his head a little, as if that hadn’t made him smile. “Oh! And Niles,” Owain added, to which the one-eyed Nightborne raised a brow, “you are like a starlight rose--”

“No way,” Niles commented dryly.

“Yes!” Owain said with a grin. “Because it is named for the stars! But also, if not handled with care, it crumbles away. Not in a weak way! But because your heart cannot be handled casually or roughly.”

Niles raised his other brow, just to distract from the slight lump in his throat. Owain’s grin turned uncertain. Then Niles looked back to the sky, and quietly admitted, “That’s pretty clever.” He smiled a little at Owain’s relieved sigh.

Then Inigo looked back towards the manor proper. “Did the kids get quiet, or is that just me?”

“Maybe they fell asleep,” Owain suggested as he looked back.

“We should go back inside,” Leo commented. He was already standing. “It’s getting late, and we still need to unpack.”

Niles stood with his husband and stretched casually. “We can finish in the morning,” he said, and the noble nodded his agreement. While Owain and Inigo put the balcony chairs in their rightful places, the one-eyed Nightborne stepped close to his husband, and they took a moment to stand together under the stars.

Then Inigo was there, smiling warmly at them. “Ready?” he asked, while Owain smiled at them, too, as if two rays of light were happy to see them.

“Yes,” Leo simply said. Niles hummed his agreement, and the four of them walked back inside, out of the cold and the night and into the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who stuck with this! I’ve appreciated all the feedback and enjoyment, and this has been a fun event! Thank you for reading, and have a pumpkin spice-y season.

**Author's Note:**

> Blood Elves/Sin’dorei: Sorta your standard fantasy elves except with glowing green eyes and foot-long ears, but they have human-based skin tones and hair colors and stuff. Red and gold is their racial aesthetic. Inigo, Soleil, Owain, and Ophelia are Blood Elves.
> 
> Nightborne/Shal’dorei: Formerly Night Elves that had been hiding in Suramar, behind a barrier, for ten thousand years. Known for teleportation magics being REALLY GOOD AND STUFF. Some of them have been alive since before that point, because elf lifespans are best described as: *SHRUG* POSSIBLY FOREVER UNTIL DED SOMEHOW. Niles, Nina, Leo, and Forrest are Nightborne.
> 
> Night Elves/Kal’dorei: Purple nature elves and the progenitor of all other elves, pretty much.
> 
> Orgrimmar: The capital of the Horde, founded by Orcs in the orange desert-y mesa-y area of Durotar. Lots of spikes.
> 
> Horde: One of the two major factions in WoW, and in conflict with the opposite faction, the Alliance.
> 
> Orcs: Tusked warriors of various clans who are pretty cool. Some ride wolves and that’s really cool.
> 
> Zeppelin: An airship-boat of sorts, a feat of engineering. Some go on regular routes between major cities or other areas, and they stop at the high-topped towers built for them.
> 
> Trolls: Longer-tusked, tribal dudes with long ears and wild hair color and lots of tribal variations. Progenitors of elves, though elves and trolls tend to dislike each other for various reasons.
> 
> Tauren: Minotaur-esque, Native American-esque cool dudes who need more lore. Please, they deserve it. They’re so cool.
> 
> Goblins: Small green capitalists that tend towards explosions. No, really.
> 
> Forsaken: Former humans and elves and others who were under the mind-control of the Lich King and are now just undead people doin’ stuff and things. As of where this writing is set in the timeline, their leader is the Warchief of the Horde, or basically the top dog. [Remember when I had a note that said the Lich King isn’t relevant, well that’s mildly not true so forget that.]
> 
> Wyvern/Wind Rider: Manticores. No, really. WoW has an interesting concept of what the names of things are sometimes.
> 
> Suramar: The city the Nightborne dwelled in, shielded by a magical barrier for ten thousand years, the people altered by the magical Nightwell that dwelled with them. Because elves are basically WoW’s eevees.
> 
> Undercity: The Forsaken capitol. It’s totally fine right now, in this point in time. Everything’s fine.
> 
> Silvermoon City: The Blood Elven capitol, located in Eversong Woods. Similar to Suramar in structure, but pointier and with warmer colors. Went through an undead-related tragedy over a decade ago, it was Not Fun for the Blood Elves.
> 
> Highborne/Quel’dorei: What the Blood Elves used to be, before a certain tragedy.
> 
> Runestones: Tall rocks with pretty magical symbols on them. They weaken non-Sin’dorei magic.
> 
> Hawkstriders: The mount of choice for riding Sin’dorei. They’re basically really colorful, more hawk-like chocobos.
> 
> Quel’thalas: Basically all of the territory belonging to the Blood Elves, and formerly the Quel’dorei. Made up elf words wooooo
> 
> The Fall of Quel’thalas/Scourge Invasion of Quel’thalas: Scourge invasion which wiped out 90% of the Quel’dorei population. 10% of the survivors remained Highborne, but the rest became Blood Elves and sated their mana addiction [largely knowingly] on demon magic, turning their eyes green. The Wowpedia entry has more details [and also Wowpedia is a good, regularly-updated source for WoW lore woooo!]
> 
> Fel/Felfire: Fel magic is demon magic, so felfire is DEMON FIRE. It’s colored green, which is cool. Unfortunately, fel corrupts, and tends to linger, and its nasty stuff. Takes forever to clean out of carpets.
> 
> The Legion: Evil demon army led by a corrupt titan [ded now presumably]. They occupied Suramar for a time, until a rebellion [with the assistance of the Alliance and Horde factions] drove away the demons and freed the Shal’dorei. It was pretty rad for adventurers.
> 
> Dreamleaf & Starlight Rose: These are plants that one can harvest with the herbalism profession, because WoW has cool plants. Dreamleaf is found in a zone full of druids and their magic. Starlight Rose is found in the Shal’dorei zone, and until you get a high enough harvesting rank, it has a chance to crumble into rose dust.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please check out my personal/writing Twitter @Squishy_Jerry!


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